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| Year | Stories |
|---|---|
| 1854 | 62 |
| 1858 | 29 |
| 1859 | 52 |
| 1860 | 27 |
| 1861 | 101 |
| 1862 | 87 |
| 1863 | 69 |
| 1864 | 32 |
| 1865 | 11 |
| 1871 | 11 |
| 1872 | 140 |
| 1876 | 812 |
| 1877 | 678 |
| 1878 | 526 |
| 1879 | 64 |
| 1880 | 180 |
| 1882 | 130 |
| 1883 | 911 |
| 1884 | 499 |
| 1885 | 838 |
| 1886 | 492 |
| 1887 | 484 |
| 1888 | 440 |
| 1889 | 1,324 |
| 1890 | 287 |
| 1891 | 1,115 |
| 1892 | 2,855 |
| 1893 | 2,829 |
| 1894 | 2,116 |
| 1895 | 1,830 |
| 1896 | 2 |
| 1897 | 62 |
| 1898 | 196 |
| 1899 | 446 |
| 1900 | 114 |
| 1902 | 34 |
| 1903 | 1,332 |
| 1904 | 1,126 |
| 1905 | 124 |
| 1907 | 53 |
| 1908 | 351 |
| 1909 | 1,545 |
| 1910 | 413 |
| 1911 | 160 |
| 1912 | 73 |
| 1914 | 261 |
| 1915 | 300 |
| 1916 | 545 |
| 1917 | 332 |
| 1918 | 45 |
| 1919 | 5 |
| 1920 | 1 |
| 1922 | 18 |
| 1923 | 185 |
| 1924 | 151 |
| 1925 | 64 |
| 1928 | 14 |
| 1929 | 19 |
838 stories
- Police Urged to 'Clean Out' Seattle's Vagabonds
An editorial from the Post-Intelligencer calls for the removal of 'worthless vagabonds' from the city, warning of potential murder and riots.
- The Seneca Street Sludge
A persistent drainage issue on a downtown sidewalk sparks frustration among Seattle pedestrians, highlighting the lack of basic civic maintenance in the growing city.
- The Great 1885 Tax Liquidation
A sweeping list of unpaid property taxes in 1880s Seattle reveals the names of the city's early developers and the precarious reality of holding land in a young frontier town.
- The Real Estate Fire Sale of the Comstock Estate
A court-ordered liquidation of downtown Seattle property hits the market, signaling the rapid consolidation of city center land during the late 19th-century boom.
- The Intellectual Oasis of Vashon Island
Before the ferry commutes, Vashon Island was slated to become a Chautauqua-style summer retreat for the Puget Sound literati, offering a 'pleasant retreat' for scholarly quietude.
- The City’s 'Worthless' Vagabond Problem
A 1885 editorial call for the city to forcibly expel the unemployed, framed as a nuisance to the thriving Pacific Northwest economy.
- The Great Seattle Tax Auction of 1885
Before Seattle was a tech hub, it was a frontier town defined by rapid land speculation and the inevitable, painful process of tax foreclosures on the city's building blocks.
- The Shadow Over the Hop Harvest
A recruitment advertisement for labor captures the simmering racial tensions and exclusionary practices of the 1885 Washington hop fields.
- The Unlucky Hotel at Wallula
In the burgeoning town of Wallula, a grand hotel venture is failing despite immense investment, leaving a trail of broken spirits in its wake.
- An Admiral’s Vision for a Seattle Naval Power
In 1885, an naval report touted the strategic brilliance of the Puget Sound as a future stronghold for the American Navy.
- The Dangerous Habit of Ignoring Contagion
An 1886 editorial warns Seattle residents against the 'criminal' practice of visiting neighbors and public schools while carrying the germs of diphtheria and scarlet fever.
- The Hustle for Labor in 1885 Seattle
A local employment agent targets the booming industries of the frontier, promising 'all other classes of labor' on short notice.
- The Real Estate Gambles of Pioneer Seattle
A historic real estate listing reveals the precarious nature of land titles in early Seattle and the high-stakes land development following the death of P.C. Comstock.
- The 1885 'Law and Order' Caucus
Seattle political organizers announce a formal gathering at Frye’s Opera House to nominate candidates for the municipal election.
- A Home Lost to Debt in Early Seattle
A legal notice for a Sheriff's Sale reveals the precarious nature of property ownership and domestic stability in late 19th-century Seattle.
- The Struggle for an American Canal
A 1885 editorial dissecting the political tensions of the era and the push for an American-controlled interoceanic waterway.
- The Industrial Bounty of 1884
A wide-ranging survey of Pierce County’s coal mines, timber mills, and the early aspirations of a burgeoning Seattle and Tacoma.
- The Seattle Postmaster's Inbox Woes
A satirical poetic complaint from 1885 captures the frustration of a growing city struggling with mail delivery, box rent, and the perceived indifference of the local postal bureaucracy.
- The Great Iowa Editor Invasion
Seattle prepares for a high-profile visit from Midwestern press barons, signaling the city's growing importance as a gateway to the Pacific.
- The Mountain Gold Miner of Snohomish County
While Seattle’s elite gossip about national politics, C. B. Battack is running a bustling quartz mine in the mountains of Snohomish County with his whole family.
- Life and Labor at the Head of the Canal
A traveling correspondent recounts a journey to the logging camps above Seattle, describing a rugged frontier economy fueled by timber, oxen, and the 'wonder' of industrial growth.
- The Unlucky Bachelor of Seattle
A cautionary tale from the 1880s about the perils of marriage and the high-speed heartbreak of being a widower in a hurry.
- The Price of a Pioneer Wardrobe
A look at the retail landscape in 1886 Seattle, where department stores were the primary civic meeting grounds and symbols of progress.
- The Hornet’s Last Call
In hard times, a U.S. Marshal’s auction of a small steamship offers a glimmer of opportunity for local opportunists.
- The Price of Building a City
A routine legal notice from 1888 reveals the harsh reality of foreclosure during Seattle's early territorial boom.